The New Year is finally upon us and across the working world, maintaining good posture may feel like the very least of our worries. Amidst all the stress that many of us face in the months leading up to the New Year, we are often too focused on our jobs rather than ourselves.
Not only does good posture aid our physical wellbeing and help prevent musculoskelatal problems, but it can also help us feel more energised throughout the working day. If your posture has taken a beating these past 12 months, here are a few tips on how to improve it in the New Year.
A correctly aligned back
Good posture starts by ensuring your back is in its natural position. While this may sound like common sense, check your posture right now – is your back slouched?
Not having your spine correctly aligned causes a whole host of issues for your posture and is the very first thing you should look to address. One way you can start to correct this is by implementing some brief posture checks throughout the day.
For example, you could set a timer for every 30 minutes prompting you to break and check your back position. After a while, this will begin to feel like second nature, leading to significant improvements in your posture.
At Posturite, we have plenty of useful resources to help you, including our art of sitting page.
Invest in a new chair
Although it may not seem like it, our chairs go through a lot of use during their lifetimes. After years of constant sitting down and standing up, chairs begin to lose their firmness and rigidity, leaving our postures prone to conforming to a now sub-optimal seating position.
Perhaps one of the most beneficial things you can do for your posture this year is to invest in a brand-new seat for the daily grind. We sell a wide variety of ergonomic chairs to suit plenty of price points. The chair pictured is the RH Logic 220 High Back Salmon Pink Office Chair from Posturite.
Browse today and see which one takes your fancy.
To gain the maximum health benefits for your back of your new office chair, don’t forget to adjust the settings to suit your own size and shape.
Check the position of your laptop screen
Did you know that on your desk, the top of a laptop screen should be at about eye level? Looking ahead, instead of down, is a good posture habit. Place your screen approximately an arm’s length from you too.
These are two easy-to-implement changes to help make that transformation to your posture. Here are more helpful hints for good laptop use with standard keyboards. One solution is to raise your game (and laptop) with a laptop stand.
Practice consistency
By far one of the best ways to maintain a New Year’s resolution is to establish a consistent, frequent schedule for your new tasks. This is also key for nailing a perfect posture, as turning things into a habit makes them feel much less like an obligation and more of a part of everyday life.
Perhaps you could work some posture correcting exercises into your lunch break or morning routine. Or, keep a log of which exercise you do and for how long you do it. Eventually, it will come naturally and be a regular part of your day.
Setting objectives
Trying all of these tactics is a great start, but measuring your progress with some realistic objective setting can really help you visualise just how well you’re doing when it comes to improving your posture.
You can do this by starting with some progress pictures before doing anything. Then, after implementing some corrective measures for about a month, take another picture and compare the difference. Not only will your progress influence you to keep going, but you’ll feel much better overall.
Posture enhancing strategies with Posturite
Much like any other New Year’s resolution, the biggest difficulty with maintaining good posture is having the right support. Thankfully, there’s help available from the ergonomic experts at Posturite.
Browse our ergonomic accessories, home office equipment and learning guides for any additional help with achieving and maintaining your good posture. If you need a little more help, you can contact us for some tailored advice.
